About

“Neil Canning’s beautiful, controlled and breathing prints, made of intense pure colour, hover in the realm of the sublime. They are fresh, poetic and brave”

John Hoyland R.A

Neil canning is a contemporary British artist whose work appears in private, public and important corporate collections throughout the world.

From his early beginnings in Oxfordshire to rural Wales and Cornwall, landscape has always been a major source of inspiration. Since 1997 it is Cornwall that he now calls home. The coast and moors of this beautiful and dramatic peninsular have helped to give his work a sense of space and drama. During this time he has been closely associated with the new generation of St Ives artists and in 1997 was included in the exhibition Art Now Cornwall at Tate St Ives.

In 2007 he moved out of St Ives to a small village near Marazion where he created a large purpose built studio. This space has given him more opportunity to work on much larger canvases. Living slightly more inland away from the full force of the ocean has allowed his work to develop further. His colour palette has become wider, incorporating much softer greys and earth colours.

The other notable development over recent years is that Neil’s subject matter has become much more diverse. Trips to both New York and Hong Kong resulted in an ongoing series of abstracted cityscapes where skyscrapers are transformed into intense pillars of light. Travel has often been the catalyst that allowed a change of direction, introducing new forms or colour combinations.

Throughout his career Neil has exhibited in London on a regular basis. In 2011 he won the main prize in the prestigious Discerning Eye Exhibition sponsored by ING. He was then invited by the bank to have a solo show at their London headquarters in the city. He has exhibited regularly at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, his first appearance was at the age of 21 when a self portrait was selected. He has also had a major presence at art fairs, including London Art Fair since 1991.

For the last 20 years printmaking has also been a very important part of Neil’s output. During this time he has worked in the studio of Advanced Graphics London who publish his limited edition screenprints. It was here that he met and worked alongside artists such as, Albert Irvin, John Hoyland, Craigie Aitchison and Basil Beattie.

Biography

1960 Born Enstone, Oxfordshire1990 Moved to Wales1997 Moved to Cornwall2011Honorary Doctorate received from University of Exeter for ‘ an outstanding contribution to contemporary British art.